Introduction: The ink supply system is still in constant development. Despite the ability to open up new markets, it will eventually be replaced by OEMs using specific applications that incorporate a CISS system. But it will continue to grow and update by opening up new markets and new applications. It has been predicted that the ink supply system will be the key to replacing lasers in desktop-level office work. Its development trend deserves our attention.
The continuous ink supply system (CISS) will continue to be an important part of the inkjet market in the future. With the continuous development of
Inkjet Printer design and technology, related applications are also being updated. When the system was first introduced many years ago, it was mainly used in conjunction with large-format inkjet printers to encourage the development of more production applications and increase the amount of large-format images.
This change has created a whole new branch of the industry: large format inkjet. Large format printers can now be used to perform high volume printing tasks and production printing. This new thing also brought another layer of change: many end users turned into a new group that provides print-to-charge services. Given the success of this group, printer manufacturers are beginning to have built-in systems in their new product models. Subsequently, more and more OEMs followed suit and integrated the supply system into the printers they produced. The continuation system on the general market could only be transferred to other applications.
By definition, small format inkjet printers have limitations in production applications due to their limited ink capacity. However, the versatile system developed by GM for small format inkjet printers enables small format printing equipment to perform long-term printing tasks. Indeed, the problem with continuous system upgrades is to extend the printing time rather than to increase the print size. Shortly after the market opened, innovative end users and system integrators introduced new applications and achieved great success in the market. Ink manufacturers have also seen the opportunity to start developing new inks for new applications on the market using these hybrid systems. Since many new applications have a larger market than the previous application market, the continuous supply system market has expanded again, which has led to an increase in printer sales and ink sales. Ink manufacturers have successfully developed new inks, which in turn has boosted the sales of CISS systems.
More emerging markets
Whether it is digital art, ink sublimation or direct clothing printing market and related applications, all of them are developing rapidly due to economical practicability. This is the effect of an affordable mid-supply system added to low-cost, mass-produced desktop-class inkjet printers.
Printer manufacturers now specialize in producing printers for the large segmentation print market in these areas, and of course these printers are also integrated into the supply system. What is favored by consumers is Epson's sublimation ink printer. Interestingly, Epson did not add the CISS system to their small desktop printers, which are widely acclaimed by the general market, or incorporated them into the large format printer series as a large print production printer. This is a clever strategy, but these upgraded models are overpriced, and small users can only look down on them.
End-enterprise users who use a variety of small desktop-grade printers with connected systems will gradually shift to larger, more productive production Epson printers. On the other hand, smaller business users will still buy desktop-level printers, adding a separate ink supply system to increase print volume. The reason is simple, so the cost is lower. However, this did not hinder the development of the application of the system, but only to some extent slowed its growth. The same shift is also taking place in direct apparel printing applications. These applications have long been used in Epson desktop printers, and have been improved with the addition of a system. Larger enterprise users are now turning to new large format printers with connected performance. These two markets are very similar. Printer manufacturers are looking for a breakthrough in success and look forward to knowing that niche markets can digest production printers with built-in ink supply systems.
Evolving prototyping technology
The continuous supply system has become an effective pro-forming technology. Printer manufacturers are reluctant to develop specialized printers to open up new niche markets. They are more willing to see smaller companies to develop their markets, especially those that use OEM mass market printers. Then, after these companies have developed the market to a certain size and attracted the attention of OEMs, they developed specific printers for the market and participated in the development of the market. A small-format mass printer equipped with a universal ink supply system is economical and can be used as a tool to open up new markets. Many successful new inkjet applications are taking this model.
As mentioned earlier, many ink manufacturers use standard printer's continuous supply system to develop new inks to develop new applications. For example, at least four of the ink companies I know use standard Epson desktop printers to develop new ink series for textile printing. If you develop this ink based on a large format printer, the cost will be many times higher; the use of a small
Ink Cartridge instead of a continuous supply system during the development process will cost a lot more time because of the sponge used in the box. Causes small ink cartridges to be incompatible with many ink types.
Dye-type inks are mainly used in the continuous supply system. Nowadays, through various research and development experiments, the types of inks used in the system have increased pigment inks, sublimation inks, reactive inks and various types of textile inks. Due to a number of factors, we have not found any continuous supply systems using solvent ink or latex ink. I don't think it is possible to have such a supply system in the future.
Nowadays, the process printing market is rapidly emerging. I believe that new inks and continuous supply systems that can adapt to new printers will greatly promote the application of inkjet technology in this field. As long as manufacturers, system integrators and developers of ink supply systems continue to innovate and contribute resources to new markets and new applications, they will expand the market for these applications and increase profit margins.
The ink supply system is still evolving. Despite the ability to open up new markets, it will eventually be replaced by OEMs using specific applications that incorporate a CISS system. But it will continue to grow and update by opening up new markets and new applications. It has been predicted that the ink supply system will be the key to replacing lasers in desktop-level office work. Its development trend deserves our attention.
New HP products that change the rules of the game?
On February 10, 2016, HP released a new HP DeskJet GT series inkjet printer that gave the ink supply system a new definition. The ink cartridges built into this series of printers can be used to fill bottled ink. This is an integrated co-supply system that allows end users to easily perform ink filling operations without worrying about ink spills. By replacing the cartridge with a bottle, the cartridge fill may be eliminated, a result that could pose a serious threat to the entire inkjet market.
(Original title: A new industry branch continuous ink supply system)
